The harm done by parental alienation

Caroline Person

Iron Mountain

Thursday, April 25, is National Parental Alienation Awareness Day.

“Parental alienation is when one parent gives a child permission to break the other parent’s heart,” Dr. Amy Baker said on an episode of “Dateline” this past fall. Baker is an expert on the long-term effects of parental alienation. She was, however, speaking as to the initial triggering of the disease and its side-effects and symptoms.

According to Baker, parential alienation is a disease can be likened to that suffered by the members of a cult under the influence of a cult-leader. Without intervention, children will likely suffer the long-term effects which include depression, suicidal-ideation, substance abuse, lack of ambivalence, lack of bonding skills, and a lack of trust. They will even lack trust in themselves.

To understand parental alienation from the perspective of alienated parents, Google “ErasingFamilies.com.” The documentary and its website are, literally, providing an opportunity for alienated parents to voice their love and affection for their lost children. Alienated children can search the site for loving messages from their lost parents. The documentary, narrated by Maria Shriver, will be released later this year.

To understand parental alienation from the perspective of alienated children, Google “RyanThomasSpeaks.” Thomas is an adult survivor of parental alienation. His enlightening videos are available for viewing on YouTube.

According to Baker, all alienated children will eventually come to realize they had been manipulated by the alienator. They will likely suffer guilt for having rejected the loving, caring, targeted parent. They will also likely suffer grief over the loss of the love and support that only a parent can provide. The testimony of Thomas serves as witness to the fact that children do not outgrow parental alienation syndrome, or PAS. While they suffer the traumatizing short-term effects as children, they suffer the haunting long-term effects as adults.

Our country has been outraged over the separation of hundreds of children from their illegal alien parents at our border. However, millions of children are separated from their loving, caring, legal resident parents due to the tolerated abuse called PA. Where is the outrage over the toleration of the psychological abuse of our children due to the disease called PAS?